Royal Army (Arnor-Gondor)
In Gondor as in Arnor, all men are at first soldiers, all are bound to join the standards at a given moment to repel an attack or make an invasion. The Royal Army is the primary military body of the armed forces of the Reunited Kingdom, serving alongside the Royal Navy. The Royal Army maintains an high level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization. There are two ground forces types: the Central Armies, a standing army of professional soldiers under High King's permanent and direct command, and the territorial forces, raised, maintained and organized by local lords or captains, such as the Rangers of Ithilien. The latter ones have the task of immediate border defence and resistance against the enemy, while the central armies have the task of conducting major war operations. However, during major wars, territorial forces can be put under High King's direct command. Compared to Gondor, the northern Arnorian armies make less use of mounted troops. Footmen are the most numerous part of the army. Captain-General The Captain-General of the Reunited Kingdom is appointed by the High King. The Captain-General of the Reunited Kingdom is responsible for organizing of readiness of the Army and the activities related to employment and government personnel, training and logistics. He proposes to the High King programmes about the Army in order to prepare the operational plans of the Army. The Captain-General of the Reunited Kingdom is heard by the Quartermaster-General for the preparation of general financial planning of the military, for the identification of operational goals and for all scope and operational activities related to staff the Army. Central Army The Central army is the primary military body of the Reunited Kingdom. The Central army consists mainly of Gondorian heavy cavalry and Arnorian heavy infantry, although also Gondor deploys a substantial number of infantry troops and Arnor maintains heavy cavalry squadrons. The core of the Central army is the heavy cavalry, which consists of about 30,000 heavily armed riders and knights, while the infantry consists of about 65,000 men-at-arms, both lightly and heavily equipped. Apart of scout squadrons and special bands or troops, light cavalry is almost entirely provided by local forces and militias. The Captain-General of the Reunited Kingdom is the supreme commander of the Central Armies, both Gondorian and Arnorian. Subject to him, there are the two Captains-General, who independently command the Central Armies of Arnor and the Central Armies of Gondor. The Captain-General of Gondor commands four Armies, each headed by a General (Southern, Sun, Northern and Eastern Armies), while the Captain-General of Arnor commands only three Armies. These Armies control in turn a section of the country, defending it and providing overall command and supervision over local defence forces, both militias or feudal forces. The Annùminas Army is also in charge of defending the Shire, Westmarch and Eastmarch, and of providing protection and assistance to the Free Land. Armies consist of several Companies, both on horse and on foot, each of them headed by a Captain. Companies are quite large forces, composed of cavalry squadrons and infantry troops: the Company is the smallest unit which combines cavalry and infantry, each commanded by a Knight banneret. Main roles of Central Army consists of ensuring the High King's authority and providing security and defence to the Reunited Kingdom against any invasion. Guards of the Citadel The Guards of the Citadel are the Company of Minas Tirith who is charged with protecting the Citadel, the highest and most important tier of the city. When on duty they are not permitted to leave their post for any cause, save at the command of their lord. They also guard the White Tree that stood in the Court of the Fountain. The Guard of the Citadel consists of three subordinated companies, each of which has its own storehouse and is commanded by a Second Captain, who carries the title of "Second Captain-general". The Captain-general of the Guards is probably the heir of the throne. Local forces and militias Alongside the Central Army, there are another type of forces: these forces are maintained by single cities or lords, as well as by some fiefdoms and regions within the borders. Local forces are usually organized as a single Company under the command of the local lord. Most of times these "local Companies", consisting of the whole military of the single city or fiefdom, are combined Companies, such as the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth, commanded by Princes of Dol Amroth. Some other times, if the Company comes from a hill, mountainous or wood region, or it is recruited in a town, it is composed of only infantry: this is the case of the Rangers of Ithilien, who are under the Prince of Ithilien, or of the Bree Militia. Usually local forces are not as highly trained as Central Army, although there are several exceptions: Rangers of Ithilien or Rangers of the North are among best scouts and explorers, and they are part of "local forces". Usually, notable cities provide large infantry-only forces, called "militias", consisting of citizens and farmers, and therefore not highly trained as other local forces are. Some large cities, alongside infantry troops, provide also some squadrons. Key roles of local forces are both internal order keeping and first-time border defence against invasions, as well as providing troops for major wars, in an integrative role to Central Army. Guard of Ithilien The Guard of Ithilien is among the most famous Local Companies within the Gondorian hosts. The Guard consists of the three military units which defend the region under the Prince of Ithilien: the Rangers of Ithilien, the White Company and the small Watch of Emyn Arnen. Town guards and militias To protect the city, there are the bodies of the city guards; these are composed of foot soldiers, recruited among young people of the places they are then called to preside, and are armed and paid by taxes collected on the spot. The mandatory period in the corps lasts usually 20 years. In smaller towns there are ranks awarded on the basis of seniority of "Man at Arms", "Sergeant" and "Ensign" for the commander of the town guard; in larger cities, on the other hand, as long as they belong to a prominent family and have some disposable income, people can reach the two positions of high command of "Constable" (corresponding to "Second Captain" when at war) and "Captain at Arms" or simply "Captain". The city guard carries the roles of police in the city in which it operates, and patrolling of the area they belong to, an operation that is performed on horseback. In addition, in the event of a military attack by enemies, the guard is committed to the defense of the town to the bitter end until the arrival of the regular troops. Ranks within the Royal Army Within the Royal Army there are several ranks, each corresponding to a different responsibility: *Captain-General *General *Captain *Second Captain *Knight banneret *Cornet/Ensign *Sergeant *Knight/Man-at-Arms It is to note that both local forces and Central Army use the same rank system within their units, in order to enable the whole military to co-operate without excessive confusion. Category:Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor